Track star won silver in event in 2004, 2008

After falling short of Olympic gold twice in the women's 200 meters, American Allyson Felix finally broke through for gold Wednesday in London.

Felix ran a 21.88, just beating out Jamaican rival Shelley-Ann Fraser Pryce, who took silver with a time of 22.09 seconds. Felix's teammate Carmelita Jeter was in third place with a time of 22.14 for the bronze.

The gold medal isn't an Olympic first for Felix, who already owned a gold medal for helping Team USA win the 4x400-meter relay in Beijing in 2008. But she just missed out on gold in the 200 meters in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing, losing out to Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown both times.

Campbell-Brown finished fourth in Wednesday's final with a time of 22.38 seconds.

Felix arrived in London on quite a streak in the event, winning world titles in the event in 2005, 2007 and 2009 to go along with her two Olympic silver medals.

She won her semifinal Tuesday night with a time of 22.31 seconds. That came after she ran a 21.69 in the 200 meters at this year's Olympic Trials, the sixth-fastest time in history and the only sub-22-seconds showing in 2012 so far.

American track star Florence Griffith-Joyner still holds the world and Olympic record in the event, running a 21.34 at the 1988 Olympics.